NBA Blog – NBA Basketball Blog
NBA Blog: The NBA basketball news blog section of Inside Hoops
NBA teams blog
The Chicago Bulls announced today that the team has waived guards Ryan Allen and Marko Jaric (pronounced Mark-o YAR-ich).
Allen (6-3, 200), appeared in two preseason games with the Bulls and averaged 0.5 mpg.
Jaric (6-7, 224), saw action in four preseason games and averaged 0.3 rpg in 3.5 mpg.
Chicago’s roster now stands at 13. Opening night rosters throughout the league must be set by Monday, October 29 by 4:00 p.m. (CT).
New York Islanders Owner Charles B. Wang, Barclays Center Majority Owner and Developer Bruce Ratner, and Onexim Sports and Entertainment announced today that the Islanders will move to Barclays Center in Brooklyn. The 25-year agreement begins for the 2015-16 season.
The announcement was made at a press conference in the GEICO Atrium at Barclays Center, which was also attended by New York City Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, National Hockey League Commissioner Gary Bettman, Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz, Islanders General Manager Garth Snow, and Barclays Center CEO Brett Yormark.
In support of the illustrious history of the team, the New York Islanders name and logo will remain unchanged.
“It was our goal from day one to keep the Islanders in the local New York area.” Wang said. “We’re thrilled to have the opportunity to play in Barclays Center, a first class arena. This has been a long journey for the Islanders family starting with our loyal fans, sponsors, and employees. I want to personally thank them for their patience, loyalty, and support. I am excited about today’s announcement and I am looking forward to a long and successful future in Brooklyn.”
“We are delighted to welcome the Islanders to Brooklyn and to bring NHL hockey to the borough for the first time,” Ratner said. “Eleven subway lines and the Long Island Rail Road come directly to Barclays Center at Atlantic Terminal, offering great accessibility for current and future Islander fans. I want to thank Charles for his determination in keeping the team in New York and for having the vision to bring his club to Brooklyn.”
“More than ever before, Brooklyn is the place where everyone wants to be,” Mayor Bloomberg said. “Barclays Center has already brought an incredible amount of excitement to Brooklyn since opening last month. Now things will get even more interesting, with Brooklyn’s first-ever NHL franchise. Whether or not you’re a hockey fan, more events at Barclays Center will lead to more economic activity and more jobs, and that’s good news for all New Yorkers.”
“Today is another great day for Brooklyn,” BP Markowitz said. “When I first campaigned for Borough President, I made the promise that I would bring a major-league sports team to Brooklyn. But never, in my wildest dreams, did I think we would be home to both the Brooklyn Nets and the New York Islanders. With the Nets and the Islanders, Brooklyn is beginning a dominant power-play.”
“The Brooklyn Nets are excited to welcome the Islanders to Barclays Center and Brooklyn!” Yormark said. “Barclays Center will offer the Islanders with an exciting opportunity to grow their fan base and to build their brand. Islander fans are going to love Barclays Center for its intimacy, sightlines, Brooklyn Taste culinary program, and customer service. We are looking forward to opening our doors for the Islanders and bringing the best in sports and entertainment to Brooklyn.”
Barclays Center will hold 14,500 seats for Islander games. Current Islander season ticket holders will have first rights to purchase season tickets in Brooklyn.
|
Philadelphia 76ers center Andrew Bynum remains sidelined with right knee pain and is a long shot to play in the Oct. 31 opener.
Bynum will continue to be held out of all basketball activity as he recovers from a bone bruise suffered during an offseason workout. The Sixers had pegged Wednesday as his potential return date. Instead, Bynum was on the sidelines while the rest of the Sixers practiced.
— Reported by the Associated Press
As the NBA regular season rapidly approaches, teams continue to trim their rosters, to get down to the 15-player maximum.
The Golden State Warriors today waived guards Carlon Brown and Tarence Kinsey, as well as forwards Lance Goulbourne and Rick Jackson.
The Warriors now have 15 players under contract.
NBA preseason ends Friday, OCtober 26. The regular season begins Tuesday, October 30.
The Milwaukee Bucks have exercised the third-year contract option on Tobias Harris (6-8, 226), and the fourth-year contract option on Larry Sanders (6-11, 235) and Ekpe Udoh (6-10, 245), General Manager John Hammond announced today.
Harris, 20, appeared in 42 games (nine starts) last year during his rookie season and averaged 5.0 points with 2.4 rebounds and 0.5 assists in 11.4 minutes per contest. He made his debut in the Bucks starting lineup on March 3 at Orlando, and Milwaukee went 5-2 during his first stint as a starter. Harris posted his first double-double with 15 points and a career-high 13 rebounds vs. Philadelphia on April 25, and scored in double figures seven times overall during his rookie campaign, with a high of 19 points coming vs. Chicago on Feb. 4. In the 2012 NBA Summer League, Harris led the Bucks with 20.8 points per game as was named to the Summer League All-Star Team.
Sanders, 23, played in 52 games last season and led the team in blocks with 76 total (1.5 per game). He also averaged 3.6 points and 3.1 rebounds in 12.4 minutes per game. Sanders posted 23 multi-block games on the season, third most in the NBA by a reserve. He recorded a career-high four steals and a season-high five blocks vs. Philadelphia on April 25, becoming the first Bucks player in 25 years to reach both those numbers in a single game. In his two NBA seasons, Sanders has played in 112 games (12 starts), averaging 4.0 points, 3.0 rebounds and 1.32 blocks in 13.5 minutes per game.
Udoh, 25, appeared in 61 games (11 starts) split between Golden State and Milwaukee last season, averaging 5.6 points, 4.2 rebounds and 1.67 blocks (11th in the NBA) in 21.2 minutes per contest. In the 11 games he started, five with Milwaukee, Udoh averaged 10.5 points, 5.7 rebounds and 1.82 blocks. He posted 33 multi-block games during his second year in the NBA, a league-high 26 of them coming in a reserve role. Over his two seasons in the NBA, Udoh has played in a total of 119 games (29 starts), averaging 4.8 points, 3.7 rebounds and 1.58 blocks in 19.5 minutes per game.
Under the terms of the NBA’s current collective bargaining agreement, the first two years of a first round draft pick’s contract are guaranteed, while the third and fourth year of the contract are the team’s option.
Harris was picked by the Bobcats with the 19th overall selection in the 2011 NBA Draft, and his draft rights, along with Stephen Jackson and Shaun Livingston, were traded to the Bucks in exchange for Corey Maggette in a three-team deal involving Sacramento on June 23, 2011. Sanders was selected by Milwaukee with the 15th pick in the 2010 NBA Draft, and Udoh came to the Bucks on March 14, 2012, with Monta Ellis and Kwame Brown in a trade for Andrew Bogut and Stephen Jackson.
|
Rockets rookie Royce White says he enjoys the open the road, and he’ll get a chance to see some of it this week as he travels by recreational vehicle to the team’s exhibition games in New Orleans and Orlando.
White, who suffers from generalized anxiety disorder that can manifest itself in discomfort regarding airplane travel, said Tuesday he has an RV lined up for his trip to the two cities and that the Rockets have agreed to pick up his travel costs for the year.
“Since it’s a medical thing and it’s also kind of a team thing, the Rockets were stellar in saying we’ll pick (the costs) up,” he said.
— Reported by David Barron of the Houston Chronicle (Blog)
Rookies Dion Waiters and Tyler Zeller moved into the Cavaliers starting lineup on Tuesday night against Indiana at The Q, joining Kyrie Irving, Alonzo Gee and Anderson Varejao, who moves to power forward.
Cavs coach Byron Scott is still searching for a starting lineup and opted to take a look at this bigger group against the big Pacers. The move leaves rookie center Zeller paired up against All-Star Roy Hibbert.
Scott said regardless of Tuesday’s outcome, he still is undecided on his starters.
— Reported by Mary Schmitt Boyer of the Cleveland Plain Dealer
|
There’s still no telling when Rasheed Wallace will suit up for the Knicks, but he’s expected to take a big step toward getting on the floor Friday when he scrimmages with the rest of the team.
Wallace participated in all team drills and a few individual drills on Tuesday, doing his most extensive work since joining the Knicks.
Mike Woodson said afterward Wallace will not play in the Knicks’ preseason finale against the Nets on Wednesday, but he should start scrimmaging on Friday.
“We’re going to start to get some contact in … and try to test him a little bit there and see where he is,” Woodson said. “And then (we’ll) go from there.”
— Reported by Ian Begley of ESPN New York
 |
Three weeks, six exhibition games and more than a dozen practices have cemented J.J. Hickson’s stranglehold on the Trail Blazers’ starting center job.
Coach Terry Stotts on Tuesday said Hickson will be his starting center Halloween night, when the Blazers open the regular season against the Los Angeles Lakers.
“He’s earned it,” Stotts said. “He’s played well.”
Heading into training camp, Stotts said the undersized Hickson would be the favorite to man the middle because of his experience in the NBA and his 19-game history with the Blazers last season. But Stotts wouldn’t simply hand Hickson the starting spot, he’d have to beat out rookies Meyers Leonard and Joel Freeland for the gig.
— Reported by Joe Freeman of the Oregonian
Read NBA fan opinion or share your views in this basketball forum topic.
|
Lakers guard Kobe Bryant missed his second consecutive practice because of a bruised and sore right foot.
The Lakers are listing Bryant as day-to-day, making it unclear whether he will play in the team’s preseason game Wednesday against the Clippers. Bryant originally injured his foot during a collision in the third quarter of the Lakers’ 99-92 preseason loss Sunday to the Sacramento Kings.
— Reported by Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News (Blog)